University of Illinois Life Online

Desserts to Make for Your Sweetheart on Valentine’s Day

Ah, February, one of the most romantic months of the year. And what spells romance better than a delectable dessert? So without further ado, here are some tasty confections to quickly whip up for after that candlelit dinner on February 14.

Begin with three bowls. In the first, melt the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stir until smooth and creamy. In the second, combine the flour, sugar, and salt well. In the third, whisk the eggs and yolks together (you can use a fork). Then, mix together the contents of each bowl to complete the batter. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. The cakes can be baked in ramekins or a muffin tin. If using ramekins, bake for about 12 minutes. If using the muffin tin, bake for about eight minutes. When the cakes are done, sprinkle powdered sugar on top for a classy touch.

Using a food processor, pulse the Oreos until the cookie bits are small and homogeneously refined. If you do not have a food processor on hand, simply place the Oreos into a Ziploc bag, squeeze all the air out of the bag, and crush the cookies using your fist, a can of food, a jar – really anything you can find that can serve the purpose of crushing. Once your Oreos have been finely pulverized, reserve a little cookie powder for garnish and fold the rest into the cream cheese. Ensure the two are combined well. Next, form the mixture into one-inch balls and line a cookie sheet or a simple plate. Set it aside and melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe container. Mix the chocolate and keep heating it until the mixture is smooth and creamy, but not too thick. Then, dip the Oreo balls into the chocolate and place them back on the plate. Sprinkle the remainder of the Oreo bits over the truffles, and let them sit in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe container for 30 seconds and then stir. Heat for 30 more seconds and stir again. Repeat this procedure until the mixture is smooth and creamy, but not overly thick. Dip the strawberries in the chocolatey goodness and lay them on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet or on a paper plate. Refrigerate the strawberries for at least four hours.

Grease a round cake pan. Follow instructions on the yellow cake mix box to make the cake, but before baking, add red food coloring to the mix. Then, bake the cake. Once the cake is out of the oven and has cooled, use your hands to tear the cake apart into many crumbs. Next, mix these crumbs with the frosting to create the filling for the cake pops. When the crumbs and frosting are thoroughly blended, shape the “dough” into one-inch balls. Melt the chocolate in 30-second increments and stir until smooth. Then, coat the balls in the chocolate, insert a stick into each ball, and place on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet or a plate. Refrigerate the cake pops for at least four hours.

Bake cake in 9×9″ pan according to instructions. While the cake is in the oven, slice up some strawberries, but only in halves; the pieces don’t need to be very small although this is up to the baker. Once the cake is done baking and has cooled, spread a layer of Cool Whip over the top. Then, add a layer of the sliced strawberries. If desired, chocolate syrup may be drizzled over the cake.